5 steps to help you ditch diet culture
As the sun starts to make its way back to us we should be feeling excited, energised and ready to worship this warm goddess but instead, you might find yourself feeling triggered by what your body is going to look like as you start to take off your winter layers- this is a product of diet culture- an oppressive system that is set up to make us feel so bad about ourselves that we continually buy into products and services we don’t need.
I don’t want to dismiss the effect a lifetime of exposure to this messaging can have on us but I would love to share with you some tips that will help on your journey to ditching toxic diet culture and accepting your wonderful self for the uniquely complex and incredible human you are- regardless of how your body looks.
Wear the shorts!
Or the crop top, the bikini, the jumpsuit- whatever it is, wear it!
No one gets to dictate what you feel comfortable in. I know it feels as though we need the body first and the confidence comes after but I promise you it doesn’t work like that.
You cannot hate yourself into a version you love. And denying your epic pins an outing because they don’t look like the smooth, hairless versions we see in the media is sacrilege, those beauties deserve to be comfortable and in case you didn’t already know even the model doesn’t look the way the media portrays them.
So get ya legs, belly, cleavage… whatever the hell you want out and let's start a chain reaction of normalizing the variety of incredible bodies we all have.
Oh and if you do take that step make sure you tag us and we’ll join you in celebrating the liberation of your epic bod!
Diversify your social feed
This is a big one- if all you see are slim, white women with zero bumps, lumps and ripples then it’s no wonder you don’t feel represented. Follow accounts of people of all different shapes and sizes, retrain your brain to realize that it isn’t only thin bodies who are good bodies and that your size doesn’t dictate the fun you get to have in life.
Some of our favourite body confidence queens are:
Shira Rose - Eating disorder therapist, body positive style blogger
Jessamyn Stanley - Author, Body Inclusivity activist
Stephani Yeboah - Body image and self-love advocate
Danae Mercer - Body confidence and self-worth
Following these legends will go a long way toward helping you normalise your own body.
Practice gratitude for what you can do - not what you look like!
Grab a journal every night before bed and write down 3 things you are grateful to your body for from that day. Focus on what you did from being able to walk somewhere to lifting heavy things, celebrate the small and the big. The long cuddles with loved ones to the ability to helo someone with a physical task. Research shows that those who practice regular gratitude are happier and more at peace with themselves, this is because we are constantly reminded of the good that we have instead of focusing on what we lack. If you’re a SLAM member make sure you pop regular notes in our gratitude jar!
Ditch self-checking behaviours
You might not even realize you are doing it but regularly taking selfies, using filters, maybe even editing photos and projecting the version of yourself that you want to be, over accepting who you are right now, can have a colossally negative impact on your sense of self-worth.
Add to this other self-checking behaviours like pinching body fat, weighing yourself, poking and prodding the bits you don’t like and you’re much more likely to have a low opinion of yourself.
Try to treat your body with compassion, spend less time on social media doom scrolling and if soft and gentle touch feels a step too far-right now then neutralise negative or rough touch first, you’ll be surprised at what a difference it’ll make to your self-esteem.
Remember lovely ones, you’re on a forever journey to ditch the self-limiting beliefs of a lifetime, there are going to be peaks and valleys but start with some of these steps, even just one and you’re one step further along the road than you were yesterday. Remember to be kind to yourself, you are wonderful and don’t you for a second believe anyone who tries to tell you otherwise ❤️